WILSON, N.C. —Dr. Terrence L. Grimes will be the featured speaker at the inaugural Master of Education commencement exercises of Barton College scheduled for Friday evening, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. in Hardy Alumni Hall. Dr. Norval C. Kneten will preside over the commencement program as president of Barton College. Dr. Jackie Ennis, dean of the School of Education, will present the first graduating cohort of 22 teacher-scholars who will be awarded the Master of Education degree with a specialization in Elementary Education.

The candidates completed 24 of the program’s 36 credit hours during summer sessions over a period of two summers. The remaining 12 hours of the program were completed through the College’s online course for the program – two courses during fall semester and two additional courses during spring semester.

Barton College began its Master of Education Degree in Elementary Education Program in summer 2010. The second cohort for the program began this past June.

About the speaker —

Dr. Grimes serves as senior advisor to the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) project funded by a grant from the Lumina Foundation and administered by the Council of Independent Colleges, a 601-member organization serving the needs of small to mid-sized private colleges and universities. The DQP will explore the possibilities of creating systems that will demonstrate the quality of academic programs, using student learning outcome data as evidence.

Prior to this appointment, Dr. Grimes served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Barton College from 2004 until his recent retirement on June 30, 2011. In this senior administrative role, Dr. Grimes oversaw the administration of the academic programs of the College, and worked closely with the deans of the five academic schools: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Nursing, and Social Work, as well as supervising the director of the library, the director of student success, the dean of accelerated professional programs, and the registrar. He also served as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, supervising the administration of seven academic departments including art, communication and performing arts, English and modern languages, history and social sciences, physical education and sport studies, religion and philosophy, and science and mathematics.

With keen insight and an unwavering integrity, Dr. Grimes raised the bar for faculty and partnered with Dr. Norval C. Kneten, president of the College, and other senior administrators to lead Barton College to the national stage. Among his many initiatives, he supervised the implementation of the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) on campus, and encouraged the faculty’s focus on strengthening students’ writing and critical thinking skills during their Barton experience.

As a professor of English at Barton College, Dr. Grimes taught in the classroom from 1971 until 2004. He was recognized in 1994 for outstanding leadership and commitment to student success with the Jefferson-Pilot Faculty Member of the Year Award, and in 1996, he was named Dean of Arts and Sciences, providing administrative leadership for this academic division in addition to his teaching duties. He had influenced the lives of thousands of students over those three decades.

Dr. Grimes also has served as editor of Crucible, the third oldest literary journal in North Carolina since 1986, and prior to that appointment, he served as associate editor. The magazine, founded in 1964 and published by Barton College, is considered one of the most highly regarded publications in the region. In 2005, Dr. Grimes was honored with the prestigious Ethel Fortner Writer and Community Award for his many years of service as Crucible’s editor.

Throughout his teaching career, Dr. Grimes served in a multitude of leadership roles, including but not limited to: director of the Honors Program, chair of the Curriculum Committee, director of the January Term, moderator of the Faculty/Staff Assembly, and faculty/staff representative to the Board of Trustees.

Dr. Grimes received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1966. A recipient of the James B. Duke Fellowship, he earned a Master of Arts degree in English from Duke University in 1968, and completed his Ph.D. in English at Duke in 1972.

As a scholar, a professor, and an administrator, Dr. Terrence L. Grimes provided exemplary service to Barton College for 40 years, and we welcome him as the speaker for the Inaugural Master of Education Commencement Exercises at Barton College.

Calendar

Archives

Categories

Barton College is located in the heart of Wilson, N.C. Barton offers a wide range of professional and liberal arts programs leading to six undergraduate degrees as well as graduate degrees in business, education, and nursing.